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A 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January 2026 for a Manchester United side with a back three and framed by some incendiary comments about Jason Wilcox precipitated the departure of a manager.
A repeat result is less likely to bring the same outcome, not least because Michael Carrick was not the one criticising the director of football. Yet when it seemed Carrick might be turning a corner, that his side were set for their finest result of a stuttering season and that his players were, as he claimed, galvanised by the events of the last week, United lost another lead and the chance to deliver a statement on the pitch.
Compared to the injury-time goals Everton and Tottenham scored, at least there was no late letdown for United – not with Noussair Mazraoui clearing off the line from Anton Stach in the 92nd minute – but they can summon different types of disappointment.
Even as, after adopting Ruben Amorim’s favourite system – probably not a tribute to the Portuguese, even if his valedictory game came against Leeds – they looked more solid in open play, they have now conceded three set-piece goals in Yorkshire already this season, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s equaliser. It is a reason why their wait for a Premier League clean sheet goes on.
And, indeed, why their wait for a win does. They have shared the points in their last three top-flight games but, in all competitions, they are without a victory in six matches. Even Amorim never went six without winning, if a triumph on penalties is factored in.
“We are not getting too carried away, because we didn’t win, but if you keep doing the right things for the right reasons you get what you deserve in the end,” said Carrick. “It wasn’t a perfect performance, it wasn’t our most unbelievable performance, but there was definitely a lot in there that you can show how together the group were. It felt like a fresh start today.” But without the result which would have demonstrated that.
So it did not get worse for Carrick, though there was insufficient evidence to argue it got much better. United had too little threat after conceding. They did not have that much before, either, but at least there was some solidity in a 3-4-3 system, with a back three shielded by twin defensive midfielders.
A half-time lead lent itself to the suggestion their players should criticise Jason Wilcox more often. Two of the players bought by Wilcox combined for the goal. Perhaps, deep in the defence, Lisandro Martinez was celebrating the recruitment he had lamented. But the Argentinian’s eventful week came to an early, and anticlimactic, end as he went off at half-time; if nothing else, that may have spared him the post-match interviews.
United were breached soon after Mazraoui replaced Martinez; even with three centre-backs, none were near Leeds’ likeliest scorer when he got his fourth goal in five games. Calvert-Lewin ran away from Carlos Baleba and held off Bryan Mbeumo when he met Nico Elvedi’s header and hooked in a shot. They had failed to heed the warning from an earlier set-piece from Stach, with Senne Lammens saving Elvedi’s first-half header.
And there was a spirit and a resilience to Leeds, now only beaten in six of their last 32 league matches, and only by champions Arsenal this season. Yet they were below their best. “It says a lot that we are even slightly disappointed with a point against Manchester United,” manager Daniel Farke said. “You always have to be aware, it is still Manchester United. Many, many compliments to my players for a dominant performance against Man United.”
He noted the team that switched shape because of the opposition was in fact United. “It says a lot about how much respect we’ve earned,” the German said. Carrick only called it a “tweak” but it at least offered indications he can change. His United have floundered against sides with a back three, so he borrowed from Amorim’s infamous fondness for the formation. At times, it seemed United had no centre-forward; at others, it was Mbeumo. Youri Tielemans, signed as a central midfielder, has looked better when others play that role. He was in the front three, and integral in the supply line. “I am really impressed with Youri,” Carrick said.
United led when Mbeumo poked in a shot from Tielemans’ low centre. The same combination had almost brought an earlier breakthrough, with Tielemans’ quality apparent in the inside-right channel as the unmarked Mbeumo headed wide from the Belgian’s cross.
“Bryan gives so much to the team,” said Carrick. With Benjamin Sesko injured, Marcus Rashford unused and Matheus Cunha limited to a cameo, Mbeumo had to. United’s new look was a more defensive one. It still did not lend itself to either a shutout or a victory.
